Tamperproof reclosable carton

ABSTRACT

A tamperproof, reclosable carton having cover relocking elements in edge to edge abutment along acutely angled edges which result in a wedge type cover lock.

United States Patent 191 Meyers July 8, 1975 1 TAMPERPROOF RECLOSABLE CARTON 3.523.636 8/1970 Phillips, Jr. 229/517 c 3,608,812 9/1971 Hamilton 229/37 R [751 Invent: g Lem! Mel/"S, Menasha' 3,680,767 8/1972 DeLorenzo et a1 229/51 TC [73] Assignee: American Can Company,

Greenwich, Conn Primary Exammer-George F. Mautz Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Rbert P. Auber; Frank S. [22] Flled: 1973 Charlton; George P. Ziehmer [21] App]. No.: 418,360

[52] US. Cl. 229/51 TC [57] ABSTRACT [51] Int. Cl B65d /54; 365d 5/68; 865d 17/24 Fifld Search 229/51 TC, 51 44 A tamperproof, reclosable carton having cover relock- 37 R, 51 C ing elements in edge to edge abutment along acutely angled edges which result in a wedge type cover lock. [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 5 Claims, 9 Drawing Figures 3,294,309 12/1966 Coe .Q 229/45 I I f6 49 43' i/ 52 76 ff 4; 2 47 T T l 74 1 74 g 55 55 ifa g 20 7 z 4 14 Q g Z6 g 25 TAMPERPROOF RECLOSABLE CARTON BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to a tamperproof carton construction with a locking reclosure feature, formed from a single paperboard blank. The carton is formed with a receptacle portion and a cover portion having downwardly extending skirt portions which telescope over the upper receptacle side and front walls when the carton is closed. The skirted cover portion is originally adhered to a break-away extension panel detachably hinged to a receptacle wall, thus providing a tamperproof closure to the carton, and the cover corner glue flaps engage with additional receptacle wall extension flaps to provide a particularly effective relocking means once the carton has been opened and reclosed.

It is, therefore, an object of this invention to provide a tamperproof, reclosable carton produced from a single blank and provided with a positive and unique cover locking reclosure means.

It is a further object, as will be more fully developed hereinafter, to provide a tamperproof, reclosable carton with a unique locking reclosure which can readily be set up, filled and sealed by automatic machinery.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The above and other objects are realized in the carton of this invention wherein tamperproofness is achieved by a sealing tab attached along a detachable line of weakness to the upper edge of the front receptacle wall and adhered to the inner front cover panel, and includes a particularly effective cover relocking means wherein a wedging action occurs between acutely angled side edges of locking tabs and complementary angled edge portions of the sealing tab and the cover front corner glue flaps.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING Further details, advantages and objects will be apparent in the description of the drawings wherein:

FIG. I is a plan view of a paperboard carton blank comprising a preferred embodiment of this invention,

F IG, 2 is a perspective view of the carton partially set FIG. 3 is a fragmentary perspective view of the carton at one stage during the closing and sealing procedure,

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary perspective view of the sealed carton, certain unexposed panel elements being shown in phantom line,

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view along line 5-5 of FIG. 4,

FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view along line 66 of FIG. 4,

FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view along the same line as FIG. 5, but with the carton partly opened,

FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view along the same line as FIG. 6 but with the carton partly opened, and

FIG. 9 is a fragmentary perspective view of the carton in fully open condition.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT The carton of this invention is formed of a blank of paperboard or similar material suitably cut and scored as shown in FIG. 1 to provide a pair of opposed end wall panels 12 and 14, a front wall panel 16, a back wall panel 18 and a manufacturers glue panel 20, hingedly joined in sequence along parallel score lines 21, 23, 25 and 27. Hingedly depending from the lower edge of said receptacle end, front and rear wall panels are bottom closure panels 22, 24, 26 and 28, respectively.

Top cover panel is hingedly connected at its rear edge along score line 41 to the upper edge of receptacle rear wall panel 18. Top cover panel 40 is also hinged at its front edge along score line 43 to front cover panel 42 and at its side edges along score lines 45 and 47 to end cover panels 44 and 46, respectively. End cover panels 44 and 46 have cover front corner glue flaps 48 and 50 hingedly connected to their respective front edges along score lines 49 and 51.

Finally, locking tabs 52 and 54 and sealing tab 56 are hingedly connected to the upper edge of receptacle front wall panel 16. The hinge line connecting sealing tab 56 to panel 16 is a severable line of weakness 55, and the locking tabs 52 and 54, which flank the sealing tab 56, are attached to front wall panel 16 along hinge lines 55a, which are extensions of weakness line 55. Since the size, shape and positioning of these locking and sealing tabs are of importance in the proper functioning of the carton of this invention in each of the sealing, opening and reclosing operations relating thereto, these features of the construction will be described in greater detail hereinafter.

In forming the carton of this invention from the blank hereinbefore described, a suitable adhesive is first applied to the area adjacent to the free edge of end wall panel 12 or, alternatively, to the manufacturers glue flap panel 20, after which the blank is folded to bring these areas into superposition, all in accordance with long established procedures. Similarly, adhesive is applied in known manner to some or all of the bottom closure panels 22, 24, 26 and 28 which are then infolded into superposed, adhered relationship, forming a bottom structure of conventional construction.

After folding locking tabs 52 and 54, and sealing tab 56 outward to lie superposed on the upper portion of the outer surface of front wall panel 16, the partially erected carton appears as shown in FIG. 2, in which position the carton may be filled with product and prepared for closure and sealing. Adhesive area 62 is indicated adjacent the remote free edge of front cover panel 42 in FIGS. 1, 2 and 3. This adhesive may be of the same composition as that indicated at 60 and may be applied in the same adhesive-applying operation, or may be of differing composition and applied in a separate operation. A heat-seal adhesive composition is of particular utility in the area 62.

The final steps in the closure and sealing of the filled carton are illustrated in FIGS. 3 and 4. The top cover panel 40 is folded about score line 41 to overlie and close the top opening of the receptacle, end cover panels 44 and 46 are folded about score lines 45 and 47, respectively, to lie superposed on end wall panels 14 and 12, respectively, and cover front corner glue flaps 48 and 50 are hinged about score lines 49 and 51 to lie superposed on portions of receptacle front wall panel 16 adjacent to the areas of said front panel on which the locking tabs 52 and 54 lie superposed.

Finally, front cover panel 42 is folded about score line 43 to lie superposed on the surfaces of the locking tabs 52 and 54, the cover front corner glue flaps 48 and 50, and the sealing tab 56, which are thereby sandwiched between the inner surface of the front cover panel 42 and the outer surface of the receptacle front wall panel 16. The pattern of adhesive 62 is such that the front cover panel 42 is adhered to both the cover front corner glue flaps 48 and 50, and the sealing tab 56, but not to the locking tabs 52 and 54.

As best seen in FIG. 3 and in phantom line in FIG. 4, the edges of the cover front corner glue flaps 48 and 50 dovetail snugly with the side and bottom edges of locking tabs 52 and 54 and with a portion of the side edges of sealing tab 56, all of said flaps and tabs lying in a common plane between the outer surface of receptacle front wall panel 16 and front cover panel 42.

Since the cover assembly of the carton is adhered to the sealing tab 56, which is an integral part of the receptacle portion of the overall carton, the carton cannot be opened without rupturing the weakness line 55 by which the sealing tab 56 is attached to the front wall panel 16. This rupturable connection thus constitutes the tamperproof feature of the carton previously mentioned and, since the weakness line 55 is at the point of junction between the upper edge of the receptacle front wall panel 16 and the sealing tab 56 and there is no other line of weakness in the sealing tab, there is no tendency for the opening feature to mal-function through folding or buckling of the sealing tab along any horizontal line between the area of its adhesive attachment to the inside of the front cover panel 42 and the desired line of severance 55.

In opening the sealed carton, force applied outward and upward along the bottom edge of the front cover panel 42 results in rupture of the weakness line 55 by which the sealing tab 56 is attached to the receptacle front wall panel 16. Locking tabs 52 and 54, however, remain hingedly attached to the front wall panel 16 and, upon reclosure of the carton, the sealing tab 56 and the corner glue flaps 48 and 50 resume their coplanar relationship with the locking tabs 52 and 54 with the free edges of the various flaps and tabs in locking abutment with each other. In this connection, the shape of the locking tabs 52 and 54 is of significance in the satisfactory operation of the relocking feature of this carton. Each locking tab (52, 54) has a free edge 70 remote from and generally parallel to the hinge line 55a which connects the tab with front wall panel 16. Each locking tab (52, 54) also has two angled edges 72 and 74, each of which forms an acute angle with the hinge line 55a. Each locking tab thus has the shape of an isosceles trapezoid, or a semi-hexagon. The angled edge 74, on each locking tab, is formed by the cut line sepa rating the locking tab from sealing tab 56, which therefore has an edge 76 complementary to edge 74 on the locking tab. Since locking tab edge 74 and sealing tab edge 76 lie in the same plane and are in edge to edge abutment throughout their respective lengths, they serve as locking elements for the cover reclosure, the locking action effectively preventing upward motion of the cover by virtue of wedging the sealing tab tightly between the upwardly converging edges 74 of the two locking tabs. The cover may be lifted only by applying force both outwardly and upwardly to move the sealing tab out of the plane of the locking tabs and so disengage the edges 76 thereof from edge to edge engagement with edges 74 of the locking tabs. It will be apparent that the locking means hereinbefore described will be effective only if the angle between the locking tab edges 74 and the hinge line 55a is less than 90, so that the sealing tab is subjected to a wedging action if an attempt is made to raise the cover while edges 74 and 76 are in a common plane.

In addition to the locking means previously described, further and substantially equally effective cover locking means involve edge to edge abutment between edges and 72 of the locking tabs and edges and 82, respectively, of the front corner glue flaps 48 and 50. The upper edge portions 80 and 82 of the cor ner glue flaps 48 and 50 are shaped to dovetail with edges 70 and 72 of the locking tabs to bring about the desired locking abutments. Edge 72 of each locking tab, and abutting edge 82 of each comer glue flap, are formed at the same acute angle to their respective hinge lines. Furthermore, in order that edges 70 and 80 of the locking tabs and glue flaps, respectively, shall come into a close edge to edge relationship, edges 72 and 82 are of substantially equal length within the limits of manufacturing tolerances and are thus complementary to each other. Because the acutely angled edges 72 of the locking tabs 52 and 54 at opposite front corners of the carton are equal in angle and oppositely directed, the cover front corner glue flap edges 82, which are complementary therewith, are subjected to a wedging action if upwardly directed force is applied to the cover when the locking tabs and glue flaps are in the same plane.

The carton construction of this invention thus incorporates three sets of cover relocking elements, any one of which sets would serve adequately to lock the carton cover on reclosure but which, in combination of two or more sets, serve as a very superior locking construction. In summary, the three sets of edge to edge locking elements are l the angled edges 74 of locking tabs 52 and 54 which abut the complementary angled edges 76 of the sealing tab 56 in the reclosed carton, (2) angled edges 72 of locking tabs 52 and 54 which abut the complementary angled edge portions 82 of corner glue flaps 48 and 50, and finally, free remote edges 70 of locking tabs 52 and 54 which are, in the reclosed carton, in edge to edge locking abutment with edge portions 80 of glue flaps 48 and 50.

It will be evident from the above description that the carton of this invention provides a tamperproof structure with uniquely effective cover relocking means which include edge to edge abutment of acutely angled edges of locking tabs with other carton elements lying in the same plane. it is understood that minor variations of the preferred embodiment herein disclosed may be made without departing from the spirit of the inven tion.

What is claimed is:

l. A tamperproof reclosable carton formed of a single suitably cut and scored blank having a receptacle portion and a cover portion which telescopes over the upper edges of the receptacle portion, said receptacle portion comprising hingedly connected front, rear, end and bottom receptacle panels, said cover portion comprising a top cover panel hingedly connected to the upper edge of said rear panel, end cover panels and a front cover panel all hingedly connected to said top cover panel and forming skirt portions parallel and adjacent to the respective underlying receptacle panels, a sealing tab hingedly connected along a detachable line of weakness to the center portion of the upper edge of said front receptacle panel and folded ouwardly along said hinge line to lie sandwiched between said front cover panel and said front receptacle panel, said sealing tab being adhesively secured to the inner surface of said front cover panel; a pair of locking tabs hingedly connected to the upper edge of said front receptacle panel in flanking relationship to said sealing panel, said locking tabs being folded about their respective hinge connections to lie sandwiched between siad front cover panel and said front receptacle panel; a pair of cover front glue flaps each hingedly connected to a respective one of said end cover panels and adhesively secured to the inner surface of said front cover panel to lie sandwiched between said front receptacle panel and said front cover panel in the same plane as said sealing tab and said locking tabs; said locking tabs each having at least one side edge thereof lying at an acute angle to said hinge line between said locking tab and said front receptacle panel, said side edge being in edge to edge locking abutment with a complementary edge formed on one of said glue flap and sealing tab carton elements lying in the same plane as said locking tab.

2. The carton of claim 1 wherein said side edge of each of said locking tabs is complementary to a respective side edge portion of said sealing tab, being separated therefrom by a single cut line.

3. The carton of claim 1 wherein both side edges of each locking tab lie at an acute angle to the hinge line between the respective locking tab and the front receptacle panel, said sealing tab having a respective side edge portion in locking edge to edge abutment to one of said angled side edges of each respective locking tab and the other of said angled side edges of each respective locking tab being in edge to edge locking abutment with a complementary angled edge portion ofa respective one of said cover front glue flaps.

4. A one-piece carton blank adapted to be formed into a tamperproof carton with a reclosable cover, said blank comprising a front wall panel, a back wall panel, opposed end wall panels and a manufacturers glue panel, hingedly connected in series along parallel score lines, bottom closure panels hingedly attached to at least some of said wall panels, a cover assembly comprising a top cover panel hingedly connected to the upper edge of said back wall panel, a front cover panel hingedly attached to said top cover panel opposite said hinge connection to said back wall panel, and a pair of end cover panels each hinged to a respective side edge of said top cover panel and a pair of cover front corner glue flaps each hinged to a respective forward edge of one of said end cover panels, a cover sealing tab hingedly attached along a separable line of weakness to the central portion of the upper edge of said front wall panel, said sealing tab being flanked on each side by a locking tab attached by a weakened hinge line to the upper edge of said front wall panel, said locking tabs each having l at least one side edge forming an acute angle with said front wall panel upper edge and (2) a remote edge opposite said weakened hinge line and parallel thereto, at least one of said sealing tab and corner glue flaps having an edge complementary to one of said edges of said locking tabs and adapted to come into locking abutment therewith in the erected carton.

5. A carton blank according to claim 4 wherein an acute angle is formed between both of the side edges of each of said locking tabs and said front wall panel upper edge, one of said side edges on each locking tab is complementary to a respective side edge portion of said sealing tab, and the other of said side edges on each locking tab is complementary to an edge portion of a respective one of said corner glue flaps. 

1. A tamperproof rclosable carton formed of a single suitably cut and scored blank having a receptacle portion and a cover portion which telescopes over the upper edges of the receptacle portion, said receptacle portion comprising hingedly connected front, rear, end and bottom receptacle panels, said cover portion comprising a top cover panel hingedly connected to the upper edge of said rear panel, end cover panels and a front cover panel all hingedly connected to said top cover panel and forming skirt portions parallel and adjacent to the respective underlying receptacle panels, a sealing tab hingedly connected along a detachable line of weakness to the center portion of the upper edge of said front receptacle panel and folded ouwardly along said hinge line to lie sandwiched between said front cover panel and said front receptacle panel, said sealing tab being adhesively secured to the inner surface of said front cover panel; a pair of locking tabs hingedly connected to the upper edge of said front receptacle panel in flanking relationship to said sealing panel, said locking tabs being folded about their respective hinge connections to lie sandwiched between siad front cover panel and said front receptacle panel; a pair of cover front glue flaps each hingedly connected to a respective one of said end cover panels and adhesively secured to the inner surface of said front cover panel to lie sandwiched between said front receptacle panel and said front cover panel in the same plane as said sealing tab and said locking tabs; said locking tabs each having at least one side edge thereof lying at an acute angle to said hinge line between said locking tab and said front receptacle panel, said side edge being in edge to edge locking abutment with a complementary edge formed on one of said glue flap and sealing tab carton elements lying in the same plane as said locking tab.
 2. The carton of claim 1 wherein said side edge of each of said locking tabs is complementary to a respective side edge portion of said sealing tab, being separated therefrom by a single cut line.
 3. The carton of claim 1 wherein both side edges of each locking tab lie at an acute angle to the hinge line between the respective locking tab and the front receptacle panel, said sealing tab having a respective side edge portion in locking edge to edge abutment to one of said angled side edges of each respective locking tab and the other of said angled side edges of each respective locking tab being in edge to edge locking abutment with a complementary angled edge portiOn of a respective one of said cover front glue flaps.
 4. A one-piece carton blank adapted to be formed into a tamperproof carton with a reclosable cover, said blank comprising a front wall panel, a back wall panel, opposed end wall panels and a manufacturer''s glue panel, hingedly connected in series along parallel score lines, bottom closure panels hingedly attached to at least some of said wall panels, a cover assembly comprising a top cover panel hingedly connected to the upper edge of said back wall panel, a front cover panel hingedly attached to said top cover panel opposite said hinge connection to said back wall panel, and a pair of end cover panels each hinged to a respective side edge of said top cover panel and a pair of cover front corner glue flaps each hinged to a respective forward edge of one of said end cover panels, a cover sealing tab hingedly attached along a separable line of weakness to the central portion of the upper edge of said front wall panel, said sealing tab being flanked on each side by a locking tab attached by a weakened hinge line to the upper edge of said front wall panel, said locking tabs each having (1) at least one side edge forming an acute angle with said front wall panel upper edge and (2) a remote edge opposite said weakened hinge line and parallel thereto, at least one of said sealing tab and corner glue flaps having an edge complementary to one of said edges of said locking tabs and adapted to come into locking abutment therewith in the erected carton.
 5. A carton blank according to claim 4 wherein an acute angle is formed between both of the side edges of each of said locking tabs and said front wall panel upper edge, one of said side edges on each locking tab is complementary to a respective side edge portion of said sealing tab, and the other of said side edges on each locking tab is complementary to an edge portion of a respective one of said corner glue flaps. 